Remembering Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt’l: Personal Reflections

By Dr. Chaim Botwinick

A Memoriam In Honor Of His Shloshim

HaRav Moshe Hauer, zt’l, was a brilliant soft spoken Torah leader, orator, scholar, talmud chacham, and a Jewish communal giant. His modest demeanor and quiet presence added to his character as a humble, modest, and thoughtful spiritual personality who was always in search for achdut and communal shalom bayit. He possessed an indelible capacity to ensure that any public policy or decision derived from his wisdom was endowed with tremendous kiddush Hashem, Torah principles, and uncompromising Jewish values.

Reb Moshe was indeed a quintessential Jewish communal role model who will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege know him. His untimely departure from our midst is painful. It shocked and rattled our world, community, and Klal Yisrael, and created an inconceivable loss of monumental and epic proportions that will impact many generations for years to come.

Many years ago, when we lived in Baltimore, my family and I had the tremendous good fortune to live in a house directly across the street from Rav Moshe, his wife Mindy, and their beautiful children.

I can vividly recall the amazing Shabbat lunches our families shared and enjoyed together. His inspiringdivrei Torah relating to the weekly parashah and his divrei chizuk at the Shabbat table were spell-binding and memorable. It was such a special treat to absorb his words, thoughts, and perspectives.

His soft-spoken style, character, and demeanor motivated all of us sitting at the table to yearn and crave for more. But, as time flew by, and as he subtly glanced at his watch, he reminded himself that he was running late and needed to prepare for his pre-Minchah shiur in his shul.

Oh, how I truly miss those days.

My relationship with Rav Hauer at that time in Baltimore was a very special and privileged one. Little did I truly know, appreciate, or realize (at that time) that I was in the presence of a leader who would bring such greatness, pride, kiddush Hashem and tremendous stature to the community and to all who experienced his greatness.

I can vividly recall the inspiring conversations I would have with him about the evolving challenges facing our chinuch community, whether they be local in Baltimore or in communities throughout North America.

We often talked about the day school and yeshiva affordability crisis and the paucity of senior Jewish educational leadership and teachers, and their daunting impact on the quality of our day schools and yeshivot.

He worried, and he cared with a passion.

Always willing but reluctant to assume senior volunteer leadership roles for select local yeshivot, His modesty was so evident in all of his actions. He made it a point to always do his “homework” (as he would refer to it) and engage in hishtadlut with a fine-tooth comb prior to participating in any conversation or participate in a meeting with the vaad hachinuch or leadership of any local yeshiva.

He never took center stage and always avoided public recognition. In fact, he was satisfied just taking a back seat and knowing that policy decisions were being offered b’dat Torah in accordance with Torah values and standards. This level of modesty was truly admired and respected by all.

As the rav of a merged shul (Bnai Jacob-Shaarei Zion), he made it a point to accept communal responsibilities which expanded his reach way beyond the four walls of his shul. They included serving on the Boards of The Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, the Jewish Family Services agency, and select local Jewish communal institutions and yeshivot.

His wisdom, counsel, and perspectives were sought after by senior lay and professional leaders worldwide. And his suggestions, recommendations, and ideas were respected and honored by all.

These volunteer leadership responsibilities, which he undertook with a bright beautiful smile and demeanor, were in addition to his unswerving impact on members of his shul and their families, and in addition to his brilliant and erudite shiurim, divrei chzuk, and Torah lectures.

Where and how he found the time, drive, passion, and energy to accomplish these amazing responsibilities while responding to the personal needs of families and individuals in the community (including his own) were beyond amazing.

Although we both davened at different shuls, I vividly recall the privileged opportunities I had to often walk him part of the way to his shul just prior to Minchah Shabbat afternoon.

We discussed the weekly parashah, challenges facing our kehillah, and about his uncompromised passion and yearning for achdut. These brief exchanges had an indelible impact on my growth and development as a young Jewish educational leader in Baltimore. Little did I know or appreciate that his impact on my leadership and thinking would be so far reaching and impactful.

Reb Moshe, we will miss you tremendously. The pain of your profound loss is only beginning to be felt and experienced in our community and throughout the world.

In 2022, my family and I moved from Baltimore to Miami so that I could assume the Executive Vice Presidency of the Central Agency for Jewish Education in Miami. It was a significant professional move and transition for me and for my family.

Two years prior to that move (in 2020) Rav Hauer left his postilion in Baltimore in order to serve as Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union in New York. He retained his rabbinic post as Rabbi Emeritus of his shul as he continued to provide leadership to the OU and to the kehillah in Baltimore.

Over the years, I maintained contact with Rav Hauer. We saw each other very often at smachot and caught up with each other at conferences and at leadership meetings. But the relationship never really compared to our earlier days in Baltimore when I was blessed and had the good fortune to conveniently meet with him, walk with him, and learn from him.

In retrospect, as I think back to those most memorable days with Rabbi Hauer in Baltimore, I and my colleagues always knew deep in our hearts that he was destined to leadership greatness as his influence expanded exponentially as new young dynamic and cherished senior professional leader of the Orthodox Union.

As I conclude writing this “Personal Reflection” I vividly recall one of my final meetings with Reb Moshe in his shul office. In fact, I vividly recall that moment since I decided at the last minute to attend a Ma’ariv minyan in his shul in order recite Kaddish on my father’s, zt’l, yahrzeit.

I recall arriving to shul a few minutes early. He noticed my presence and invited me to join him in his study for what he referred to as a schmooze. These schmoozen were priceless.

During the course of our brief conversation (schmooze) I recall asking him, “Reb Moshe, where do you get the time, energy, strength, and stamina to maintain your amazing schedule and to respond with full heart and mind to the wide variety of challenges you encounter on a daily basis?”

He sat back in his chair, looked at me, took off his glasses, and with his bright brilliant smile answered (to paraphrase) “Reb Chaim, I wish I knew, but in all honesty, it is a precious gift from Hashem and one which I cherish and honor twenty-four seven.” Always cherish the time Hashem gives you on this earth, never take it for granted, never squander it, and always view it as one of the most precious gifts from Hashem that one can possibly receive and enjoy on this earth.

Friends, this was indeed Reb Moshe Hauer.

His response to my question was so emblematic of his values, beliefs, principles, and greatness, and it represents a true reflection of his passion, his bitachon, and his emunah in Hashem as well as his unswerving and unwavering commitment to Klal Yisrael.

Yehi zichro baruch—may his memory be a blessing for his family and for all of Klal Yisrael. n

Dr. Chaim Botwinick is a senior executive coach and an organizational consultant. He served as president and CEO of the central agency for Jewish education in Baltimore and in Miami, in addition to head of school and principal for several Jewish day schools and yeshivot. As an Influencer, he has published and lectured extensively on topics relating to education, resource development, strategic planning, and leadership development. Dr. Botwinick is co-founder of LEV Consulting Associates, and producer /host of the Chinuch Horizons podcast, He is the author of Think Excellence, Brown Books, 2011.